


87, Halloween

by GamblingDementor



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Gen, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 04:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7419334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/GamblingDementor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this binder there's a picture of the ladies at Daniela's. You can tell it's from the eighties by the volume of their hair. There's Usnavi, just a baby…</p><p>Fill of a prompt I got on my tumblr (hamiltonandfluff, come say hi!).</p>
            </blockquote>





	87, Halloween

 

" _Miren quien está_!" Diana grins and points through the window.

 

Daniela was in the middle of the story and doesn't appreciate being interrupted, but it's a holiday today, so she'll forgive her that. Only strike one. If one can have strikes against their own boss. She follows Diana's finger and there across the street, walking towards the salon decidedly is Luz, holding a little ball of orange fuzz with a green hat that Daniela barely recognizes as the baby.

 

" _Mija_ , what a cute costume!" Claudia coos when Luz enters the salon with a wave to everyone gathered here pre-Halloween celebrations. Claudia has been all over Usnavi ever since he came into this world, possibly even before.

 

"You made the costume," Luz laughs but still looks proud of her spawn.

 

"And Usnavi wears it like an angel," Claudia concludes.

 

She holds up her arms for Luz to pass her the baby, she always does. Usnavi has probably spent as much time being held by either of these two ladies than in any cradle. All the customers love him and beg to hold him whenever Luz visits the salon.

 

Daniela has no opinion on Usnavi. She has no opinion on babies in general. Her mom says it will come, and what would Dani have said if _she_ had not liked babies? Daniela replied she wouldn't have been there to hear it and her mom grounded her for a week. Still, Usnavi looks too small and a bit puffy, and maybe his eyes are cute when he looks up at her but aside from that, there isn't much to say about him. The pumpkin outfit is vastly more interesting, and it's pretty much boring as well − but she'd never dare admit that to Claudia.

 

"What are you doing for Halloween?" Luz asks, sitting by Claudia to pull faces at her baby, her voice tired.

 

She's sounded tired ever since she gave birth. Her husband is taking over the bodega more often than not but still, it's plain as day that she doesn't sleep much. And the little devil Usnavi is so good at pretending he has nothing to do with it, being all calm and smiling in public. Daniela knows his secrets.

 

"Working," Daniela answers truthfully.

 

She's only an apprentice at the salon, but she wants to be the _best_ apprentice. She'll work as much as she needs.

 

"No costume?"

 

Daniela laughs.

 

"And mess with this make-up? _Gracias, pero no_."

 

Luz smiles, tiredly, and Usnavi starts fussing, revealing his true colors. She takes him back from Claudia who looks almost hurt to lose him so soon − Daniela would have felt blessed, but that's her and Claudia is Claudia.

 

"Shh, _tranquilo_ ," she whispers into his ear and Usnavi stops crying immediately. All the ladies squee with joy. All six of them. How is that even possible? What is Daniela missing?

 

"Can we come trick-or-treating with you?" Diana begs.

 

"Oh, please!"

 

"We wanna see Usnavi!"

 

Luz agrees to all go together and it's like she'd promised them the moon. Daniela tries to fake interest, but not very hard, and she soon gives up on even pretending. It's not like her opinion is going to be heard anyways: everyone is only paying attention to Luz and her son. It's like they've never seen a baby before.

 

"So, when are you going to try for one, Cami?"

 

Camila waves away the thought dismissively but the ladies insist.

 

"Not before we get the business rolling," she finally says and that is reason enough. Everyone here is struggling. They all know that when money is tight, your priority is to feed all the mouths in your household and if there's fewer of them, then maybe it's a little bit easier. Not that it always works this way: Daniela is the oldest of seven, but she wouldn't dare wish that there'd been any less of them than that, and they make ends meet most weeks. But if Camila and Kevin want to wait for success to have a child, let them wait. That'll be less children hanging around the salon and taking up too much of Daniela's space.

 

"Hopefully Usnavi will be friends with them," Luz says. "Whenever that is."

 

"We should take a picture," Diana suggests. "Before leaving for trick-or-treat."

 

"I'll take it," Claudia offers, pulling out her polaroid. "Smile!"

 

Daniela tries her best to smile at least half-heartedly. Thankfully the others start leaving right after, of course letting her close the salon for the night on her own. Claudia stays behind, shaking the picture to make it develop quicker.

 

"Not bad, heh?" She shows it to Daniela.

 

There they are, the ladies of the salon, Usnavi in the middle. Claudia borrows a pen from Daniela and writes down a quick annotation in memory of tonight on the back.

 

_87, Halloween._

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, please consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


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